Why Your Kids Should Be Playing Outside

Growing up over 20 years ago, I can truly say that some of my favorite memories took place in the great outdoors playing with my neighborhood friends. We’d get into all kinds of stuff like playing baseball in the street, biking up and down the neighborhood, and digging up trenches to bury our treasure. This of course was before the time of the internet, computers, and video games.

I am now an adult raising my own children and I have noticed a shift in what children used to do for fun to what they do for fun now. Children stay in the house so much that they probably don’t even know what’s outside. The computer and the television take up so much of their recreational time that they don’t know how to play games like baseball or hide-n-seek. Despite this shift, though, it is your responsibility as a parent to make sure that your kids are spending time doing not just physical activities but enjoying the great outdoors. Don’t let real sports die. Here are a few good reasons why your kids should be playing outside.

Better Social Skills The world we live in requires that you be able to socialize effectively with people. Everywhere you look you are dependent on other people to help make aspects of your life better. Kids who play indoors by themselves to not learn how to interact or socialize with other kids which does not help them in developing into productive and successful adults. Playing outside with other children teaches them to socialize, resolve conflict, and network as well.

Better Physical Condition Childhood obesity is one big problem facing America these days; twenty years ago, however, this was not a concern. Why? Because kids played outside. They ran, they jumped, they hit balls and got plenty of exercise. Kids who play inside can’t get this same amount of exercise. The are often sitting down while playing video games or playing on the computer. Doing physical activities outside helps to ensure that your children are in good health physically.

Better Grades Kids have a natural tendency to have a lot of energy. If they are going to be able to focus in school they must have an outlet for releasing this energy. That means that children need to enjoy as least an hour a day of free time where they get to run around and explore in the great outdoors. Lots of kids have been diagnosed as ADD or ADHD but what parents don’t realize is that by hindering their children from playing outside, the in fact cause their children to be unable to focus. If you had tons of energy bottled up it may be hard for you to concentrate in school too.

The more we move into an age of advanced technology, the more we should keep in mind those things that got us to this point. Physical exercise and outdoor play is our friend and we shouldn’t forget it.

Dorthy Weatherbush believes that all kids should be forced to play outside so that they can get all of the exercise that they need and not have to end up on a Medifast diet. While diets like Medifast are great for adults, kids should not have to worry about weight issues or dieting.

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